Letter from Dave Pruneau

As part of the district’s continued efforts to keep you up to date on the H1N1 flu, the following information is being provided in partnership with the Oakland County Health Division.

H1N1 symptoms start suddenly with fever, headache, muscle pain, cough, runny nose, chills and sore throat. Sometimes children may have an upset stomach and diarrhea. The cough may last 2-7 days. Please be monitoring your children carefully for these symptoms if they are not feeling well. Most importantly, if your child is sick, please do not send him or her to school. We know that there may be parents who have to make the difficult decision to stay home with a child, perhaps jeopardizing their work; however the district is not equipped to house children who are too ill to be in class or who must be separated from the rest of the students because they may be contagious. Please be thinking about back-up arrangements if your child must stay home from school.

We continue to encourage the following preventative measures as recommended by the Oakland County Health Division.

a)Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze and throw the tissue in the trash after you use it. If a tissue is not available, cough or sneeze into your sleeve

b)Wash your hands often with soap and water, especially after coughing or sneezing. Alcohol based hands cleaners are also effective.